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It has been reported (not confirmed by FDA) to TruthaboutPetFood.com that the importers/manufacturers of two previously recalled jerky treats from China are in negotiations with FDA to raise the acceptable limits of antibiotic residues found in pet treats. Thus making the recalled/withdrawn jerky treats available for sale again.

This insider told me Nestle Purina and Del Monte is – right now – “negotiating with FDA to raise the acceptable limits of antibiotic residues in pet foods and pet treats.” I was told the reasoning behind these negotiations was to make the recalled and withdrawn jerky treats imported from China available for retail sale again.

Please note – this information is not confirmed by FDA. This must be considered rumor at this point.

However, here’s why I think this could very well be true information and could happen without consumer notice…

1. China is the ONLY source for cheap jerky treat product. Cheap product means high profits. The antibiotic residues found in the Chinese treats are allowed/legal in China, but not allowed/illegal in the U.S. Importers such as Nestle or Del Monte have only a few options if they wish to continue to sell cheap jerky treat products (providing high markup/profits) from China. Change China. Or change the FDA. Importers will need to convince the entire country of China to feed all of their poultry non-antibiotic laden food, find a more expensive clean source of chicken treats or they could convince the FDA these drugs are not a risk. I’d have to guess profit minded large corporations consider sweet talking the FDA the best option.

2. Nestle Purina purchased the Waggin Train brand in 2010. At that time it was reported the brand earned $200 million yearly income. Now just imagine the bottom line for Purina or Del Monte minus at least $200 million. Big as they are, $200 million per year loss of income is significant. Loss of income is a powerful motivator (to sweet talk the FDA).

3. And it might not take an official change of law for this to happen. Just recently the Food Safety Inspection Services (FSIS) posted a ‘proposed law change‘ to the way foreign food facilities are inspected; they provided a stakeholder input page for any concerned party to provide comment on the new law changes. But thanks to our friends at Food and Water Watch, we learned that this new law change was not new at all. Food and Water Watch found FSIS had already implemented the ‘new’ inspections of foreign food facilities four years previously – without ever notifying the general public. I think we can safely assume FDA could do the very same thing with acceptable antibiotic residues in pet food or treats. Approve it, implement it, and then years later inform pet food consumers.

Questions were sent to the FDA regarding these rumored ‘negotiations’. Your guess is as good as mine if we will receive confirmation of the rumor.

Also – the FDA has yet to respond to our theory the antibiotics found in the treats are indeed the source of pet illness and death. All of the scientific data backing up our theory was provided to FDA approximately four weeks ago, and was personally handed to FDA (by me) at the AAFCO meeting two weeks ago. We have received no response if FDA has investigated the science we provided them. I have asked the FDA again if they have investigated this connection to pet illness and death to the illegal antibiotics. Third time’s a charm?

And no response from FDA as to why all the other jerky treats from China remain on store shelves. Again, if we are provided with any news – you’ll know about it.

Ahhhh, I knew this was just around the corner; that Purina/ Nestles would attempt to do this. Dog treats are their dumping ground and revenue for them at that. Give them time and they will be repackage into another new item avilable on pet store shelves.
It is soooo sad it is goverened by greed. It is our beloved pets without a voice who pay the price.

Absolutely infuriating. There are still so many pet parent who do not know all of this is happening. If they end up back on the shelves, the deaths will continue. The chinese had put melamine in milk, heck why don’t we just change the law and make that ok too? The FDA does more harm than good anymore. They just bend over and take it from any corporation with big bucks. Make your own treats everyone, it’s easy and safe. Susan, HOW do we STOP this?????

Not for one second have I EVER believed their cockamamie assertion that the illnesses and DEATHS in our beloved dogs stemmed from “unapproved antibiotics”. What I do believe and wish we could prove, is that there is STILL Melamine in the jerky. When you see some of the videos of how the Chinese treat livestock chickens, the disgusting and cruel way they process them and the horrifying crud they feed them, adding in the fact that a hungry chicken will eat just about anything, even if it’s not Melamine, it’s something equally deadly and cheap that is laced throughout the poor chicken’s flesh.

I agree with you Robin, it may well not be the antibiotics, but keeping this crap off the shelves is the most important thing. If the reason is antibiotics, that’s good with me. Anything until someone can find the definitive cause. And the antibiotics are disallowed for a reason, whether or not this is THE big problem, it does appear that many dogs are allergic to sulfa drugs and they can cause serious problems.

Dogs kidneys/liver cannot filter Sulfur – then causing serious problems. It really is not an allergic reaction – they are unable to filter or tolerate the drug.

I have heard the rumors that the Chinese were taining the “freshness packets” with Radiation – therefore causing cancer to any food particle that came in contact with the “freshness package”.
If we as a country, stop purchasing from China (anything and everything) some of this will change.

I have a very concerning question for you ! I have a Pomerian who loved the Wagon train treats ! In January & & Febuary of this year he became deathly sick ! It Sacred me to death ! Vomiting &loose stools therefore becoming dehydrated ! Within 3 days ! I had to rush him to vet as he was becoming lifeless ! The vet s had to give him I’ve s and coritizone shots from the attacking his own body ! Plus antibiotics for 2weeks they tried everything he got to come home one day with me provided I took him back in tha following day ! They run more test and found his kidneys were full of crystals large amounts of which they could not understand ! What was causing the Crystals the dog food I feed him was not the problem they said ! Never did it enter my mind that I needed to tell them what treats he was eating ! They are still puzzled they also thought at first he might have some form if cancer .. Thnk God blood tests concluded that was not the case at this time ! He had effective digestive problems! Liver problems & kidney infection that was raging in his tiny body! The question was what had caused all of this they wondered since he is totally a in house dog ! All other tests they normally do showed no reason for what was happening to him !more antibiotics and total of 2 1/2 months of being horribly sick ! He is now recovering ! Plus a very very large vet bill ! Well I went to the store to get his favorite wagon train treats and guess what ? The stores had been stripped of all of the Wagon Train Treats I ask my daughter in law and she said they had a recall but did not know why ! Well he has had no Wagon Train Treats since his hospital emergency now I Realize What Caused the Problem When I Pulled this up on the Computer ! My Tiny Baby Had Renal failure along with all the other issues due to Wagon Train Treats and No one Advised the Public ! He still has days when he is exhausted from all the trama this product has done to him he is only 4 yrs old ! Was a Healthy vibrant dog now still struggling to regain his strength and health ! I have leukemia and he is my reason for getting up in the morning ! It has saddened me to know how little this company has informed us as consumer s about this damage they have done ! I am still blessed to still have him although not sure what his long term damage has been done to him ! I fight for my life everyday and I fought for my best friends life even though I had to borrow the money ! Thank God I Had a wonderful person to help me ! My tiny little dig would have been dead now if I had not had help from someone who cared about animals ! Evidently this I company has no concern for human or animal life ! Only for The Almighty Dollar ! Thank you all for your comments had it not been for them I would never have known what had caused him such harm ! God Bless You All ! I Think something should be done to Put into law A world wide recall Notification immediately when These Things Happen ! We Deserve That As Consurmers ! Maybe a Class action suit against this company would bring this out ! My tiny Dog Cannot Speak But I Certtainly can for him ! Furious in Tennessee !

Attorney Bruce E. Newman commences class action lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of Waggin’ Train Chicken Jerky Pet Food Treats.
Bruce Newman has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Elizabeth Mawaka against Nestle Purina, Waggin’ Train, LLC, Wal-Mart, and Sam’s Club following the death of Ms. Mawaka’s two boston terriers after they ingested chicken jerky treats. Over a thousand complaints have been made to the FDA because of pet illnesses and deaths after ingesting this food, and currently over a dozen other affected pet owners may be joining the suit, which is currently pending in the US District Court in Connecticut. The chicken jerky treats cause neurological symptoms, liver and kidney failure and may also cause pancreatitis in dogs. Newman has requested that these dog treats be immediately recalled. The case has been accepted by the Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation as another action is currently pending in Chicago and it may be transferred to another Judge in the next 6 weeks.

If you, a family member, or friend has a dog affected by this contaminated food, contact Attorney Newman at 860.583.5200.

Thank you Ann for this information ! I will talk with my vet again and call this number you have given me to join in this lawsuit ! It sure is nice to know that someone cared enough to let everyone know about this tainted pet treats ! Best regards Vickie and Harley Dog says Thank you also !

Vickie and Harley Dog, My 18 month old mini blue heeler Chewie almost died after eating the Waggin Train treats for three weeks. She was in ER on IV’s for several days and now must take meds daily for the rest of her life. Previous to that, she was super healthy and full of energy. My vet bill was huge.
The good news is that after a slow three month recovery and her daily meds, she is finally starting to act her old playful spunky self again. I didn’t think she would ever be the same again, and of course she is not 100%, but I have seen a huge improvement. I hope and believe that Harley Dog will in time have a near complete recovery.
The only effective way to see significant change in the pet food industry is to hold them responsible when appropriate. I have learned so much since joining Susan’s website. I have filed complaints with the manufacturer Nestle Purina, the FDA, and my state agriculture dept. I hope you will do the same as soon as you are able. Ann & Chewie

Dear Ann & Chewie thank you so very much for th get well wishes ! I am so sorry to hear about Chewie ! That was the same thing my healthy little Harley went thru ! From Healthy to total almost lost him still has Crystals in kidneys what amazed me were the vets were so puzzled they just kept asking what he might have eaten that caused this damage ! I was so happy to see all the reports at least now I have the answer ! And yes Ann I do intend on following all the way thru with calling and reporting all I need to ! I never want to go thru this with him again ! He is slowly getting back to himself After lots of antibiotics & I’v s thank you again for your well wishes sincerely Vickie &Harley dog !

The key is, educate people as Susan is doing. The FDA is no longer your Grand Dad’s FDA…they are now nothing more than an agency that legitimizes ANY product whose manufacture has enough money to ‘adequately’ pay off congressman who will ‘influence’ the FDA.

How easy would it be for the FDA to actually sample and put their seal (a seal that now means ZERO!!!) on a pet food. The FDA has been gutted of inspectors under the guise of ‘smaller government’ This is one of the prices we pay for ‘smaller government’.

WE CAN HELP THE POOR ANIMALS that eat that poison!
I just sent in my measly membership fee and set my default signature to say: “DO YOU CARE ABOUT WHAT YOUR PETS EAT? Log on to www.http://truthaboutpetfood2.com and get the truth.

The Jerky Treats from China would do a dissapearing act if Pet owners would educate and inform themselves about whats going on and stop buying them!!! Money talks and if nobody buys them they won’t be profitable and they then would have to consider manufactering them and sourcing the chicken in the USA!! Mayby we need to focus on informing and educating the petowners here but step it up even more than what we already have done. But how do you deal with people that know the dangers of feeding crap from China but buy it anyway? They really believe that it won’t happen to their Dog!! What can we do that hasen’t already been done to educate? I guess you can lead a Horse to water but you sure as heck can’t make them drink!!

I,too, am furious! I asked a manager of a Petsmart to take both products off their shelves because they were unsafe. Only until recently, were the products gone. It’s like everything else, money talks and controls. Maybe, the FDA should fire the whole dept. and appt. people that care about animals and people!

One more reason to STOP buying commercially made pet products and move to a RAW/NATURAL diet for carnivores! Kibble crunchers CAN be switched at ALL ages! Feeding RAW is perfectly safe for humans with simple common sense hand washing and utensile care. It actually ends up LESS expensive than kibble and offers supreme health for the animals! I know, I have been doing it for years for my ferrets!

I believe that this “rumour” is probably accurate, and that it will indeed come to pass. It would then seem an apt example of the discussion in Kallet and Schlink, “100,000,000 Guinea Pigs: Dangers in Everyday Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics,” written in 1933: the authors postured that the FDA was held in “regulatory capture”: created as a state regulatory agency to act in the public interest, but instead advancing commercial or special interests that dominated the industries it was charged with regulating. The authors called this a “failure of government,” because regulatory capture ultimately encourages a business model wherein large firms impart negative economic and moral social costs on consumers (the third party in the relationship).

We are furious over this! Our 4 yr old terrier mix is recovering from a serious bout with what we think is pancreatitis, possibly triggered from eating the Waggin Train treats. He was addicted to the chicken jerky. Out of nowhere he began experiencing uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea. He needed 48+ hours of IV’s and numerous meds to pull him through. He’s greatly improved, but still not 100%. We spent $2000, so far, to save him. Before this, he was healthy. We will no longer purchase any of these treats and given the lack of safety and indiscrection from what we thought were reputable pet food companies will no longer purchase any of their products. We have no problem preparing foods for him that we know will be safe. Any class-action info would be appreciated!!

Attorney Bruce E. Newman commences class action lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of Waggin’ Train Chicken Jerky Pet Food Treats.
Bruce Newman has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Elizabeth Mawaka against Nestle Purina, Waggin’ Train, LLC, Wal-Mart, and Sam’s Club following the death of Ms. Mawaka’s two boston terriers after they ingested chicken jerky treats. Over a thousand complaints have been made to the FDA because of pet illnesses and deaths after ingesting this food, and currently over a dozen other affected pet owners may be joining the suit, which is currently pending in the US District Court in Connecticut. The chicken jerky treats cause neurological symptoms, liver and kidney failure and may also cause pancreatitis in dogs. Newman has requested that these dog treats be immediately recalled. The case has been accepted by the Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation as another action is currently pending in Chicago and it may be transferred to another Judge in the next 6 weeks.

If you, a family member, or friend has a dog affected by this contaminated food, contact Attorney Newman at 860.583.5200.

The more I read the more disgusted I get. It’s hard to understand why store owners need to be FORCED to remove product from their shelves, or why the FDA does the weasly crap it does. Yes, I know profits are the bottom line but whatever happened to HUMANITY?

I think this is what kill my Miss Dasiy. She was 13 years but she was my girl. We watch for china name on all treats, we have 2 other dogs and we don’t want to lose them. I’m so upset that Walmart still carry there food and treats it’s all about the money for them. And to HELL with are aminals, but they are my Kids.

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Susan Thixton

TruthaboutPetFood.com's author is a founding partner of the international pet food consumer association - Association for Truth in Pet Food. Through our consumer association, Susan has advisory position to AAFCO's Pet Food Committee and Ingredient Definitions Committee.

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